News Anthropology

Modern feet step back 1.5 million years

Footprints preserved at an African site suggest that the feet of a 1.5 million-year-old human ancestor looked much like those of people today

By Bruce Bower

Human ancestors created some remarkably lasting impressions on the eastern African landscape around 1.5 million years ago. Walking across a muddy patch of terrain near what’s now Ileret, Kenya, these ancient individuals left footprints that hardened and have now been excavated by a team of scientists.

FOOT FORWARD At left, geologist Matthew Bennett kneels by a trail of humanlike footprints that his team suggests are Homo erectus prints from 1.5 million years ago. A close-up of a preserved footprint (right) reveals short toes and a forward-oriented big toe typical of modern humans.